Kebbi Council Imposes Curfew As Youths Clash Over Gold Mining
Violence erupted after a misunderstanding among the miners. The Yauri Local Government Area has imposed a curfew from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. following a violent clash between youths involved in gold mining in the Garin Katta community.
The violence erupted after a misunderstanding among the miners, resulting in the loss of lives and destruction of property. But the exact number of casualties remains undisclosed.According to eyewitnesses, the conflict began last Saturday when a group of gold miners allegedly attacked and killed an individual.
In retaliation, the victim’s relatives launched an attack on the miners the following day.In response, the gold miners reportedly went on a rampage, vandalising shops and setting motorcycles on fire indiscriminately. Announcing the curfew, the Chairman of Yauri, Abubakar Shuaibu, said he had notified the Police Area Commander and the Department of State Services (DSS) before the situation escalated.The authorities recovered the body of the deceased and buried him according to Islamic rites.“We demanded the names of those responsible for the killing, and some individuals were willing to cooperate.
However, when we decided to accompany them to identify the culprits, their colleagues prevented them from doing so,” he explained. “With no other option, I contacted the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) but was unable to reach him, possibly because he was in a meeting. I then sought military support to restore order in Yauri,” he added.
According to the chairman, the situation escalated again after his vice chairman returned from the burial and informed him that the gold miners were attacking people within the town.
“Conflict is harmful, and God is displeased with anyone who initiates it. That is why we have deployed security forces to maintain peace and stability,” Shuaibu added.
